Overview

The Southern Ethiopia ( Omo valley ) tour is the most cultural tours in the country. You experience the many tribes culture and their way of life. It seems facile to label South Omo as a living museum. Yet in many senses that is exactly what it is. Four of Africa’s major linguistic groups are represented in the region, including the so called Omotic-speakers, a language group as endemic to south omo as the Ethiopian wolf is to the Abyssinian to highland. All in all depending on where one draws the lines, as many as two dozen different tribes occupy south omo, some numbering tens of thousands, others no more than 500, each one of them culturally unique. The most renowned of the Omotic- speakers are the Mursi, famed for their practices of inserting large clay plates behind the lower lip of their women. Other important groups of the south omo include the Hammer, Benna, karo, Ari, Dasenech, Erbore, Konso and Temay. Clients will have real exposure of these tribes with detailed information about the tribes during their visit. Regarding the market days, Turmi, Demeka and Key Afer are the most colorful market in the south Omo. Travelers have to see at least two of them depending of their time budget.

8 Nights/ 9 Days

Title: Omo Valley ( Cultural Tours)

Tour Code: SET 005

Duration: 8 Nights/ 9 Days

Means of Transport: Surface

Description: It is the highlight of the far southern part of the Omo valley with its immense cultural Attractions of the country.

Day 1: Addis- Arbaminch

Drive with 4x4 Land cruiser south west of Addis Ababa via Hossana , over viewing the Oromo and the Gurage tribes way of life with their thatched roof circular house surrounded by enset “ false banana” trees. Overlooking lake Abaya and lake chamo, one of the fertile and evergreen place in the country o/n hotel.

Day 2: Arbaminch

Morning drive to Chencha, the largest Dorze Village with their unique weaved bee-hived shaped bamboo house. Afternoon boats ride on Lake Chamo to see crocodiles, hippopotamus and some aquatic birds and more o/n hotel.

Day 3: Arbaminch – Jinka

Proceed to Jinka, admiring the Derashe, Tsemay, Ari and Benna people on the way. If today is Thursday, you can visit the very colorful market for the Tsemay and Erbore people at Key Afer o/n hotel.

Day 4: Jinka –Mursi/Mago-Jinka

Enter Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people and their villages. Here for beauty women insert round clay plates in their lips. The men practice scarification based on the number of enemies or wild animals they have killed in battle o/n hotel.

Day 5: Jinka - Turmi

Drive to Turmi, and if today is Saturday you can see the colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people at the market in Dimeka. Proceed to the Hamer villages and o/n in the Best Lodge.

Day 6: Turmi – Murulle - Turmi

Drive to Murulle to visit the Karo people, with their interesting body decorations and scarification; admire the view of the Omo River from Kortcho village then back to Turmi for the colorful Monday market if today is Monday visit the Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people. Witness Hamer dances (Evangadi) and seasonal marriage ceremonies with bull-jumping if you are lucky o/n in the best Lodge O/N Hotel.

Day 7: Turmi –Yabello

Visit the Erbore villages and make a stop to admire the agricultural terracing practices of the Konso. Further visit of the Konso village, Gargesiyo, “ the southern New York”, a place which is the outcome of food for a long period of time and looks like the previous New York sky sculpture buildings in USA o/n hotel.

Day 8: Yabello- Yirgalem

Drive to Yirgalem via Yabello, visit the Sidama people way of life, enjoy the evergreen place of the country, one of the most known coffee plantation field proceed to Dila, the place that you will explore the archeological site of Tutiti and Tutufela. Further drive to Yirgalem for overnight at Aregash Lodge, a place which is full of Jingle with animals and beautiful birds.

Day 9: Yirgalem – Addis Ababa

Morning drive to Awassa, visit the biggest fish market in the country. Drive up to Mount Tabor for the panoramic view of Awassa town. Lake Awassa and the surrounding attractions. further drive to Lake Langano, lunch at Sabana Lodge, proceed to Addis via the Rift Valley over viewing the rift valley lakes of Shalla, Abyata and Langano, Zeway and Koka admiring wonderful views, endemic birds, pelicans, flamingoes shopping some traditional goods, attend farewell dinner in the famous Ethiopian traditional restaurant with live music and delicious meal, transfer to Bole International airport for flight and it will be the end of the tour.

12 Nights/ 13 Days

Title: Omo Valley (Cultural Tours)

Tour Code: SET 006

Duration: 12 Nights/ 13 Days

Means of Transport: Surface

Description: It is the highlight of the far southern part of the Omo valley with its immense cultural attractions of the country.

Day 1: Arrival in Addis and transfer to Hilton Hotel. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Addis which includes Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University, Merkato grand open market and etc. O/N hotel.

Day 2: Drive to the southwestern region of Ethiopia. Visit at Melka Kunture archeological site & Adadi Mariam cave church that date back to the 13th century and give a good indication of Lalibela rock- hewn churches of the 12th c. Picnic lunch on the way ,Continue driving to Tia stele through the beautiful village of Gurage and Silte that includes the colorful Saturday market of one of the Gurage area. O/N hotel.

Day 3: Continue driving to Arbaminch in Amharic meaning 40 springs , admire very interesting views and the Gurage,Silte and wolayta people, their villages, culture, the cultivation of the false banana tree ( from which roots they extract their traditional bread, the kotcho). O/Nhotel.

Day 4: Early morning breakfast and drive to lake Chamo for early morning boat excursion to see the Crocodile Market and the Hippos. (Here crocodiles are some of the longest in Africa , With length of 8 and also above meters.).After boat ride on the lake Chamo lunch will be at konso. After lunch drive continue to Jinka on the way visiting Tsemay and Bena tribe .O/N Hotel.

Day 5: Early morning Drive to Mago National park to the banks of the Omo River to visit the Mursi, People and villages, admire these tribes , where for beauty women use to put clay plates into their lips, men have different scarification and more particularities, visit their way of life in the villages and Ari tribe village, drive back to Jinka for overnight. Dinner and O/N Hotel

Day 7: After breakfast drive to Kangate to visit Egnangatom(Bume)tribe.Cross Omo River by boat to reach the tribe village. After lunch visit the Koricho village and more Karo tribal village and way of life with very stunning views over omo river .Camping in Murulle

Day 8: Set out with picnic lunch and drive southwest to Omorate, visit the Everyday market and the Geleb tribe one of the nomadic people of the omo region and visit the village and drive continue to Turmi O/N Camping at Keseke river.

Day 9: After breakfast drive to Dimeka the famous Colorful Saturday market of the Hamer , Bena and Karo tribes respectively at Dimeka villages , these tribes are famous for their hairstyles, scarification , culture and more. Afternoon attending bull jumping ceremony one of the Hammer traditional ritual for a Youngman to be transfer manhood. On this day we will have a chance to attend hair dressing among themselves decorating their body with mud and love dancing. O/N Turmi.

Day 10: After breakfast, drive to Konso en-route visit Elbore, Tsemay and the famous Konso village including the Konso traditional King house. The Konso people are known for their close-knit homesteads terracing of their hilly farmlands and wonderful wooden artifacts. Back to Konso O/n in Konso.

Day 11: Early in the mooring drive to Yabelo, a base to make the excursion to the House of Salt , the singing well and Borena Oromo village. Drive some 80km down south, turn off from the main road to the left, and drive further 13km to reach at the village called El Sod where the house salt to be visited by hiking down 2km which is a deep Crater Lake . Drive back to driving back to Yabelo. O/N Hotel.

Day 12: After breakfast drive to Wondo Genet. On the way proceed to Borena village to visit more attractive their village and Guji oromo tribe. Drive back to Wondo Genet for the Overnight stay in Wondo Genet Resort Hotel.

Day 13: Return to Addis en-route visit the about three Rift Valley Lakes. Lunch in Ziway town at local hotel. Upon your arrival attend dinner party and departure.